Does the US dodge diesel?

After this morning’s review of VW’s 2015 Jetta Hybrid appeared, I received an email from a friend. Why, he wondered, are US buyers denied access to high-mileage turbo-diesels available in Europe.

Volkswagen Polo

He wrote: Our friends rented a VW Polo in Europe that gets 91 mpg highway. I did some research to learn it is a 1.4 litre turbo-diesel that Porsche engineers created.

He sees a conspiracy: I am in contact with Rep. Cathy McMorris’ office to determine the reason(s) The Empire does not allow fuel-efficient cars into the USA. I have been trying to get an answer since September. I also contacted the US DOT and am unable to get their stated reasoning.

It’s less a conspiracy, I replied, than a business decision. When deciding which engines to export to the US — and especially diesel — foreign manufacturers confront a complex matrix of decisions. Diesel fuel costs more here than in Europe, due in large part to a difference in tax structures. Further, in 2008, the US switched to low-sulfur diesel and imposed new clean-air standards to which imported diesels must adhere. Add to that American’s historical preference for gas and the low “take rate” that VW might expect for the three-cylinder 1.4-liter BlueMotion diesel that powered my friend’s friends’ Polo, a “supermini” not available in the US.

So, no conspiracy. In fact, some analysts believe European diesel sales will fall as the Continent tightens its emissions standards.